Snapshots
by Sir Gawaine
Summary: Snapshots of life on the Grid; moments between people who are sometimes friends, sometimes enemies, sometimes more than family. All characters will play a part at some point.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – I quite like drabbles and double drabbles. I see them as a bit of a challenge and I like trying to say things in as few words as possible. This is a new challenge to myself, one drabble for each possible combination of characters from the show, although the combinations will only be between characters who interacted in the series. To clarify, that means there is a whole lot of Harry and Malcolm, for example, but not so much Calum or Erin. Each drabble is influenced by a song title and only the most obvious ones will be blatantly shippy. This will have approximately twenty chapters.**

_**Harry and Tom – The Soldiers of the Old Home Guard.**_

Somehow, when he was learning everything that he needed to know to join the service, Tom had a very clear picture of the legendary Harry Pearce in his mind. No one ever told you how old these old soldiers really were, so the fact that Harry had all his own teeth and no grey hair when Tom finally met him came as something of a surprise. He really wasn't that old, maybe in his early fifties to Tom's mid-twenties, and for the longest time Tom didn't know how to treat him.

The first time he saw Harry take someone twenty years his junior out with the most casual looking of slices to the throat, he realised the truth. Harry was experienced, that much was true, but old was a word that should never, ever have come to mind.

_**Danny and Zoe – Have It All/Old Friends.**_

She shouldn't have done it really. She had no reason to ever go back to the UK, the country she had given everything to and that had robbed her of even more. But after fifteen years, Zoe felt as though the time was right, so she gathered up her children – teenagers now, almost grown – and she took them to visit home, just once.

She walked them past Thames House, they oblivious, her searching for faces that she knew she would never see, and then she took them to visit Danny because God knew it was the least she could for him. The kids stood in front of the unfamiliar grave and fidgeted, but Zoe read the name and her breath caught and she began to cry tears she had never before shed.

"This is what you gave me," she whispered, arms around the boys, "When you sent him to me, Danny. This is what you gave me and I owe you so much."

_**Malcolm and Colin – Little Talks.**_

Colin wasn't sure how it started but in one particularly fraught team meeting, he caught Malcolm staring at him across the table and making shapes he didn't recognise with his hands. Later, when he asked him, Malcolm said it spelled out 'Save me' in the sign language alphabet and he was just doing it so he didn't have to listen to Tom throw a tantrum.

Colin laughed, because of course that's what it was. So, unknown to Malcolm, he had a look at the alphabet and the next time he caught Malcolm doing it, he was able to answer 'Save yourself'. Malcolm's little noise of surprise disrupted the growing tensions and brought the meeting back to friendly ground and although Malcolm blushed, Colin just grinned. Malcolm was sweet when he was embarrassed and in Colin's opinion, it didn't happen nearly enough.

_**Sam and Ruth – Truly, Madly, Deeply.**_

Ruth was so upset by Danny's death that Sam wondered, when she had come round from her sedation and gone back to the Grid, if she had had a rival for his affections all along. Ruth was her friend and she didn't want it to be like that, the two of them mourning a man they loved who was in turn in love with the memory of another.

But then Ruth went with Harry to collect Danny's body and Sam seethed with grief and bitter jealousy, until she watched them come back late that afternoon and she saw Ruth watching Harry and she understood. Ruth wasn't in love with Danny. Not even in the slightest.

So Sam went to her friend and they cried together, tucked away in the briefing room, for a love that now would never be and another that could never happen.

_**Adam and Fiona – Unfaithful.**_

He'd promised himself he would never be a cliché, the spy from a foreign land who snatched away the beautiful woman from under the nose of the man he was there to spy on. Adam Carter was better than that, he told himself, better than all of it.

Then he met Fiona and she was beautiful and he broke every single promise he had ever made. She was worth it though, worth all the lies and all the pain and all the deceit and everything he ever had to deal with because of her.

She was the only person he ever betrayed himself for.

And she was entirely worth it all.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – And a second chapter today, just to get the ball rolling.**

_**Zaf and Jo – Rule The World.**_

That was always the problem between them, Jo realised afterwards. She'd never considered herself young or naïve but after Zaf died, she realised that she was and that he had been too. They were _so_ young, convinced that nothing truly awful would ever happen to them, despite the fact that they watched it happen to so many people they knew, so many people braver and better than they were.

They'd never been ready for it.

There just wasn't enough time to convince herself that he would ever be gone from her life. And on that first night, she wandered around their flat unable even to cry, missing him so desperately. She touched his things because she couldn't touch him and wished that she had considered even once before that one day it might happen to them.

_**Ros and Ben – Suspicious Minds.**_

He brought lunch every day, packed up just the same like his mum used to do it for him, and then Ben began to notice that sometimes his fruit would go missing. He didn't know who it was; Malcolm, Connie, Harry, Lucas, Ros – none of them seemed likely. It had to be Jo. It couldn't be anyone else.

So he decided to watch one day, a careful eye on the break room that looked like he wasn't keeping a careful eye on it, and at lunchtime the bandit struck. He had to laugh, more from shock than from anything else, because it was Ros of all people who opened the fridge and took his apple out. She smirked, wiping it on her shirt and turned away, catching him watching her. He raised an eyebrow and she smiled slowly, taking a bite without taking her eyes off him. She was something else and he couldn't even be surprised.

The next day he brought two apples, just to be friendly.

_**Connie and Lucas – One of Us.**_

When he first met Connie, he was twenty five years old, and he was awestruck. Harry was a character and Malcolm was like a friendly uncle and the other young officers were mates, but Connie was just Connie. The strongest, smartest, bravest, most incredible woman he had ever met. He felt lucky, gratified, that she would even deign to spend time with him, help him, encourage him as best she knew how.

"You've got something, kid," she used to say, "I know it when I see it."

Connie was the reason he stayed when the job was too much. Connie was his hero. He couldn't believe it when he heard what she had done, killed Ben in cold blood, betrayed them all. Lucas knew what he was, what he had done, but he always believed he knew his friends and especially her.

When he heard what she had done, Lucas wasn't even sure what he believed anymore.

_**Tariq and Dimitri – Drive By**_

Dimitri took the Tube on that first day, still not quite believing that his brand new parking pass would actually allow him access to the Thames House underground structure. Section D. Harry Pearce. It was a dream come true but he still wasn't sure he would not wake up.

He was early when he stepped out of Westminster station but he was practically jogging in his eagerness to get there. He wasn't looking when he crossed the road and he had to jump out of the way when a young guy on a scooter shouted and veered around him, swearing and speeding off in the same direction Dimitri was headed.

Shaken, cursing his own stupid self, he slowed down and when he met his Almost Collision on the Grid, grinning at him and introducing himself as Tariq, Dimitri wondered exactly how his day could have got off to a more interesting start.

_**Erin and Calum – Innocent**_

He met Rosie once, when Erin dragged him to her house for a drink at the end of a hellish op for Section A. The kid was three, maybe four, and she had on these little pink pyjamas with unicorns all over them. Calum didn't really do children but Rosie was cute and she showed him a drawing she had done that day and asked if she could sit on his knee. Erin didn't do anything to rescue him and so he ended up drinking his glass of red around the little girl, who fell asleep soon after and had to be carried up to bed by her mum.

Calum remembered that day, a few years later, when that bastard had taken Rosie and Harry was faced with making the worst decision Calum had known him to have to make. He didn't say anything, because no one needed his input right now, but he closed his eyes and he tried to block out that image of Rosie and her unicorn pyjamas, and when he found he couldn't do that, he just prayed instead.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N – I feel I should mention that the songs I use here are randomly assigned, which is why some of these are not going to be all winners. Thanks for the reviews and the support so far!**

_**Harry and Zoe - One Day Like This**_

She's trembling when he comes near her, and so close to tears she might as well be already sobbing. Harry takes the gun gently away from her and with a mixture of what he later identifies as relief and adrenaline, he wraps an arm around her and presses his lips to the top of her head. She must be pissed at him but she moves closer and her tremors settle just a little. Harry does not enjoy playing these games but he thanks Christ and any other deity who might be listening for the result they have here today. It's Tom's victory, he knows, but Zoe was holding the gun too at the end and Harry has no doubts now, where he might have had them before, that she would have fired it however many times she was ordered to do so and she wouldn't have thought twice.

He holds her because she is terrified and she needs it, but he also does it because, finally, she is really one of his people.

_**Tom and Danny - Maybe**_

They stood outside The George, pints in hand, breathing in a little air that was fresher than the close atmosphere of the pub. Tom didn't usually care for the occasional after work tete-a-tetes that the others indulged in, but Danny had insisted this time. It had been a close call today, too close, and he had made Tom come because, quite frankly, he couldn't believe the other man was alive.

The rest of the team was sat by the window and Danny could see them, drinks on the table, and smiling broadly for once. It could have been different. It could so easily have been different.

"You alright?" Tom asked, nudging Danny back to the present, "Everyone's fine. Stop worrying."

"I know," Danny grinned, downing the rest of his pint and heading in to get another, "I know mate."

_**Malcolm and Sam - Castle On A Cloud**_

Malcolm had long ago learned that no one cared much for the vast majority of the knowledge he had acquired during his years of life. He accepted ot and mostly kept quiet when he had a quote or a story or a scrap that was perfectly suited to the situation.

His first willing audience, apart from Colin, was young Sam, who he never would have expected to have such a fierce interest. She asked him for stories, for shreds of history and bits of literature, assuming he knew it all because he was 'just the sort of bloke to know it.'

And she was a good listener who asked good questions, innocent as she was, and he soon found it no real problem if she only vaguely knew of Homer or didn't know Charlemagne, because she was a good kid and she didn't ever pretend to know more than she did. In a way he never imagined, he found that was not so much a problem as he might have thought.

_**Ruth and Colin - Bad Boys/ Just The Way You Are**_

First Sam and then Jo is tempted away from Colin's gentle adoration, Sam by Danny, Jo by Zaf, and Ruth wondered how much it really hurt Colin to be sidelined like he was. H never said a word but she read it on his face sometimes, the realisation that whilst other young and more brash men were around, he was never going to get a look in. Not in their world.

She didn't mean to tell him what she knew but one day he was sat watching Zaf flirt with Jo and before her better judgement interevened, Ruth sat besides him and shook her head.

"It won't be forever," she murmured, "Someone out there is waiting for you, Colin."

He didn't reply, just carefully eyed her from behind his glasses, and sighed.

"You don't believe me but I know," she carried on, "You're a lovely man, Colin, just how you are."

And then she walked away, because he was embarrassed and she was too, but if he began to breath a little easier around Jo and joke more with Zaf, she considered it an embarrassment well worth suffering through.

_**Adam and Jo - Walking On Broken Glass**_

It wasn't one of the special glasses, thank goodness, one that really meant something to someone. It was just one of the crappy IKEA ones they kept for visitors but it smashed just as loud. Jo jumped out of her skin and swore, trapped in a circle of broken shards, her feet bare because the day was hot and she had left her shoes underneath her desk. Adam appeared, summoned by the noise, and smirked.

"Need a hand?"

"You can wipe that grin off your face," she laughed, "Get the dust pan, will you?"

"I'll do one better," he strode over and reached for her, lifting her cleanly from the circle and putting her safely out of the kitchen.

"Put your shoes on," he said brightly, "And get the dust pan yourself."

She swiped for him and missed, his warm laughter infectious as she made her way to her desk.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – Thanks again for all the reviews and all of your support. I'm having a blast doing these. In fact, if anyone would like to suggest a song for two characters that I haven't done yet, let me know and I will see what I can do. **

_**Fiona and Zaf - One More Sleep Till Christmas**_

Between a bout of flu doing the rounds and Harry's determination to try and meet everyone's requirements for the festive period, Fiona found herself on the Grid on Christmas Eve. She was there on the promise that she would be home in time for Christmas Day, and that Adam could stay with Wes today. She didn't mind. She had made her arrangements weeks ago; the gifts were wrapped and the food delivered, pre-prepared, ready to cook.

At 10pm, Zaf arrived, chipper and upbeat for someone who was about to pull a double shift over Christmas Day. His parents were out of the country and he had volunteered, a smile on his face as always when Harry noted it down.

"For you," Fiona grinned, pulling a bag from under her desk and tossing it at him, "To make babysitting more fun. Adam chose the magazines. I bought the food. The whisky is for you and Harry, when he shows up. We owe you, Zaf."

The bag was full of sports magazines and snack foods, Zaf's two favourite things apart from his car and his leather jacket.

"Cheers," he grinned, "Now get home. Your boys are waiting for you."

_**Connie and Ros - All These Things That I've Done**_

Connie wondered if Harry realised that he had replaced her with Ros.

It was startling, even to her, how alike she and the younger woman were. It was like looking into a thirty five year old mirror and it was disconcerting. In time though, she learned to accept it and to accept Ros' role in Harry's life. So she would push Ros sometimes, make her go to Harry when she might have let him alone, nurtured their relationship from afar, encouraged them to talk to one another.

Because Connie knew that one day, despite her most careful of movements, there would come a day when Harry could not turn to her. On that day, he was going to need Ros and she wanted her counterpart to be more than up to the challenge.

_**Ben and Lucas - Be A Clown**_

Adam had been kind of an intense guy but he had known how to laugh too and Ben didn't believe for a minute that this new bloke was going to be much fun. Not that he could blame him, of course.

Then he noticed that sometimes Lucas would move things on people's desks, rearrange the mug cupboard, put forks in the knife tray, move the teabags around on the shelf and he did it all with a little smile on his face.

One day, Ben asked him, just because he couldn't stop himself.

"I used to do it to Connie and Malcolm, when I was a kid," Lucas smirked, "It drove them up the wall. They never guessed it was me. I suppose they know now, since it stopped when I wasn't here."

So Ben watched and he realised that Connie and Malcolm did know but they indulged Lucas all the same. It was something of Lucas from Before Russia and it was important that Before Russia Lucas was a part of Now Lucas, because it meant that the dumb kid who played jokes on them and got crumbs everywhere hadn't been lost for good.

And he thought that, just maybe, Lucas knew that too.

_**Tariq and Beth - Let It Be**_

"Tariq Masood!"

The cry came from across the Grid and Tariq ducked his head, smirking behind his screens.

"What have you done to my computer, you little shit?"

"Nothing irreversible," he laughed, "Say sorry and you can have it back."

"Sorry for what?" she said, hesitating, her eyes narrowed.

"You called me a boffin," he said, sticking out his lip and nursing a hurt tone, "I prefer geek, just for future reference. Nerd at a stretch."

She burst out laughing and nodded, blushing good naturedly.

"OK, fair enough. I'm sorry I called you a boffin. Can I do some work now?"

"Of course," he switched off his remote access, "Geeks Honour."

_**Dimitri and Erin - Best Of Friends**_

It started before Rosie was taken, Erin knew, but her friendship with Dimitri definitely developed quickly after that day. Going to the park at weekends to feed the ducks with Rosie, post-op dinners at home, drinks in the pub. He once even picked Rosie up from school when her Mum had an appointment and Erin had a meeting.

That night, Rosie asked her if Mummy and Dimitri were best friends. Mummy didn't know the answer to that, and she sat with a glass of wine, trying to figure it out. Dimitri had held her hand on the day that Ruth died, and Erin remembered thinking that his steady grip was the only thing that got her through those first few hours.

It was a big thing to put on a friend, even a best friend but, if she was honest, she imagined that dealing with future trauma would best be done holding his hand.

And the moment that thought crossed her mind, she knew she was well and truly screwed.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – Thank you for all of your continued support and for the reviews!**

_**Harry and Danny – Hanging On The Telephone**_

The phone was ringing in Harry's office, but Harry wasn't there to answer it. Danny ignored it the first time but then it rang again, and then a third time and he went to the open door and watched it, unsure of what to do. They were in the middle of an op and someone clearly wanted Harry. He'd never stepped into the inner sanctum uninvited, but he could give the person Harry's mobile number and they could get him on that. Taking a deep breath, Danny dashed into the office and snatched up the phone.

"Harry Pearce's office, Danny Hunter speaking."

"Danny," Harry sounded harassed, "I had to lose my mobile phone in rather a hurry and this is the only blasted number I can remember. Get a driver out to my club, will you? I'll meet him there."

"Sure thing, Harry. No problem. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Oh, and Danny?"

"Yep?"

"If you're sat in my chair, I will know and I will kill you."

"Message received, loud and clear."

_**Tom and Zoe – I Saw Her Standing There**_

Zoe was a good officer, still learning, but quick on the uptake and never needing to be told anything twice. Tom liked her well enough, even called her a friend although he was never very good at making and keeping friends. She was just Zoe.

And then one day she needed to go under cover at some bank function and so Tom sent her home to make herself ready for a party. She came back, in order for Malcolm to wire her up, and Tom left Harry's office to go and make sure everything was alright. She was standing, smiling at something Malcolm had said, and for a second Tom was struck dumb.

She was wearing a red dress, high heels when she normally hated them so much, and she looked beautiful. So suddenly and achingly beautiful that his breath caught and he couldn't move, and then she turned to look at him and blushed a little, so he knew it must be showing on his face.

"How do I look?"

"Perfect. Just perfect."

_**Malcolm and Ruth – World Of Our Own**_

The team was gathered in the briefing room, having an early morning discussion on the best way to smoke out a small time politician who was looking decidedly dodgy.

"He travelled Italy when he was young," Ruth yawned, "Seems he had a lot to regret there, if you get my meaning."

"How terribly Byronic," Malcolm smirked, "He's rather lucky it didn't end the same way, I suppose."

"It's such a cliché, don't you think?" Ruth laughed, "All he needed to do was write poetry too and the transformation would be complete."

"Now come Ruth, I doubt he had a bear in tow."

"I'm not sure Lord B had one in _Italy_, Malcolm."

"He's perfectly wild!" they said together and Malcolm wiped his eyes, chuckling.

"When you're quite finished," cut in another voice, and they both jumped, looking around to find Harry staring at them pointedly and the rest of the team laughing, their faces ranging from bemusement to gentle indulgence.

"Is this a morning briefing or a literature lesson?" Zaf asked innocently, "Because I didn't bring my notes from last time."

_**Colin and Sam – I'm Not Dead**_

She got a job in a café for a bit after she left the service, wanting to be surrounded by people and wanting to do nothing more important for a while. The café was all the way up in North London but she still saw him one Saturday, when he came in for a fry up. Colin, just as she remembered him.

Sam knew the drill – he was supposed to ignore her and she was supposed to accept it – but when she went to take his order, she found she was holding her breath anyway, waiting for him to look at her.

"Fry up please," he said, "With coffee and no mushrooms."

Then, finally, he looked up. His eyebrow twitched but he didn't say anything, and Sam left the table with a lump in her throat.

At the end of his meal, she went to collect the money that he had left on the table and found he'd left the receipt, a message scrawled on the back in a hand she recognised and found oddly reassuring. It began with a little smiley face, his trademark.

_Good to see you, Sam. Hope you're doing alright. We're all fine. All the best, Colin._

_**Adam and Zaf – Our Town**_

Adam had been brought up north of the river and Zaf south, but London was their city and had been since they were kids. They'd both left it for a while, travelled and learned and matured, and then come back ready to defend it to the death.

They'd drive a lot together, partnered together more often than not, and it was only when the two of them were together that they never needed a map, never needed Malcolm on the phone to give them directions. They had the Knowledge between them, everything that they would ever need to know about London stored in their minds, and it was great to know sometimes that there was someone else who had grown up here who still loved it as much as the other did. Fiona laughed at them, called them London boys, and Adam just smiled. That's what they were.

London boys at heart, foremost and forever.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N – Thanks again for everything, you lovely people.**

_**Fiona and Jo - Where My Heart Will Take Me**_

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Let him come to work everyday knowing what might happen to him?"

"I suppose in the same way that he lets me come here too."

They were standing in the bathroom, Jo helping Fiona prepare her hair and make-up for yet more undercover glamour.

"It's just that-" Jo hesitated, "I watch Zaf eat his breakfast in the morning and I think about what he has to do that day and I'm scared - and we only live together. We're only friends."

"Mmm," Fiona ruffled her hair carefully and watched Jo in the mirror, "I imagine he feels the same way about you."

Jo flushed, inexplicably really, but something in Fiona's voice, the way she said 'feels', made her suddenly, supremely uncomfortable.

_**Ros and Lucas - 3am.**_

When the phone rang at 3am, Ros knew exactly who it was. Lucas had no sense of timing, called whenever he had a thought that he wanted to share. Eight years away from social graces could do that to a man. Strangely though, Ros found that she didn't mind. Lucas was clearly an insomniac and if clearing his mind at Stupid O'Clock was what he needed to do in order to be able to rest. she was willing to be there to listen.

Only for him though.

Anyone else could piss off and wait until after her first coffee. She wasn't that generous.

_**Ben and Connie - Any Other World.**_

Ben would have been a great journalist, had he continued in that line of work. He was sharp and quick on the uptake and he would only have got better. He would have progrssed quickly to a level of seniority at that rag, and then he would have been headhunted by a broadsheet and then he would have been promoted through the ranks and, one day, she reckoned he could have been an editor-in-chief. Connie knew the sort.

That's what Ben would have done, if fate and circumstance hadn't conspired to drag him here instead to this; a life cut drastically short for the sake of a phonecall at the wrong time, a cold records room the last thing he will ever see.

In any other world, Ben Kaplan would have been a star.

In this one, he dies aged twenty six, his throat cut and no one, absolutely no one, there to hold his hand.

Connie long gave up liking this world.

_**Tariq and Erin - Somebody Told Me**_

He got to the Grid first that morning, an increasingly normal situation, and he was halfway through his emails by the time Harry stalked in and disappeared into his office. Ruth followed soon after, then Dimitro, then Calum, and no one said a word about the significance of the day. Tariq didn't care. He was hot on the trail of a cyber hacker who had taken a pop at the firewall.

Then Erin arrived and she placed a carefully wrapped box on his desk, right in the middle.

"Happy birthday, Tariq."

He looked up and she was smiling, and so were the rest of them and even Harry appeared at the door of his office to have a look.

"How did you know?"

"We're spies."

He opened it to find a rare Spiderman comic, one he had been hunting for and all but given up on.

"How did you know?"

"We're spies."

"Yeah, but -"

"Spies."

_**Dimitri and Beth - Sunny Afternoon.**_

It's already gone two in the afternoon but Dimitri missed lunch and it looks like he will be stuck on the Grid until late into the night. So he takes an executive decision and heads out to sit by the river and eat his very late lunch. It is a hot July day and he stretches out on the grass, sandwich in one hand and the other covering his eyes.

"Afternoon, soldier boy."

He feels rather than sees Beth lie down besides him and he groans.

"If you're going to stay, do it quietly."

"Noted. I suppose I can be permitted to eat my own lunch?"

"Of course. Free country, isn't it?"

"Despite evidence to the contrary. And Harry's insistance it probably isn't."

Dimitri laughs and looks at her for the first time.

"It's a beautiful day, Beth. Never take them for granted."

"I don't."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N – Once again, thanks for all the reviews and support. I'm crazy busy for the next week or so, so updates will be pretty sporadic, if at all!**

_**Tom and Colin - The Riddle**_

A leak. A leak on the Grid under his bloody watch. Tom stalked out of Harry's office and eyed his team. He couldn't believe it was one of them but then, it had to be. There was no other explanation. So the question was, who did he trust?

He sought out Colin on a whim, because he had to start somewhere. The techie was beavering away as always and, all at once, Tom made his decision. Colin was unlikely, highly unlikely and to sweeten the deal, he was a terrible liar. Aside from Malcolm and Harry, Tom had known Colin longer than the others and although they would never be friends, he knew him. He sometimes doubted Malcolm was the leak too, but the older man had been in the game longer and the longer you served, the more susceptible you were. Just look at Tessa. No. It had to be Colin. It was the only answer.

_**Harry and Malcolm - Reunion Hill**_

He's an old man now. Malcolm is younger than you, as unlikely as it seems, but he always needed looking after and it is easy to remember it after all this time. He needs it now - time has not been kind to your old friend. He uses a wheelchair and he can't see a thing, can't see the books he used to love so much.

It's been ten years but you wonder if he will recognise your step. His smile answers for your question for you.

"Harry. That is you, isn't you?"

You take his hand. It's the least you can do.

_**Zoe and Tessa - Be Calm**_

Tessa was watching her from across the Grid, staring really. Zoe cupped her hand around her cheek and tried to concentrate on her screen. She could feel it though, feel her eyes on her, and she felt her face flush. Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn. Now Tessa would bloody well know.

She didn't know what she was going to do about the money or Tessa or the people she wasn't running but she did know that if Tessa kept watching her, she was very quickly going to give the game away. Harry wasn't stupid and he was going to see something was wrong. Surely Tessa knew that. Maybe that was part of whatever game she was playing.

Maybe Zoe was going to be screwed, either way.

_**Danny and Sam - Nothing I've Ever Known**_

She's worked in an office before but MI5 is like nothing she's ever experienced. Zoe is the first person that she meets and she's lovely, but Harry is kind of terrifying and Tom is the most untouchable person she has ever met. Then there's Danny, who tries so hard to be like Tom but who is actually sweet and who Sam finds herself increasingly drawn to. She doesn't know if he feels it too but he always seems to have time for her and in this new and frightening world, that seems like a pretty important thing.

When Danny smiles at her, the worst possible day can suddenly be made ten times better and Sam can hardly dare to allow herself to think on exactly what that means.

_**Ruth and Adam - Jolly Holiday**_

"I'm going to meet Harry," Adam shrugged into his jacket and snatched up his keys, "At a racetrack apparantly. Did you know he was into racing?"

"I did not," Ruth said, turning from her screens and watching him, "But then Harry is what he is."

"You're telling me," Adam smirked, "Any message you want me to give him? Hope you're enjoying your holiday, that kind of thing?"

His voice was light but Ruth caught something in his tone and looked at him sharply. His face was a picture of innocent inquiry. Suspiciously innocent.

"Just - just tell him that I'm - we're thinking of him," she murmured, "Tell him-"

"No problem," Adam smiled gently, "I'll let him know."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N – In which I am a bit philosophical and lots of people have conversations. Thanks for all of the reviews and support, as usual.**

_**Jo and Ros- I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You**_

Jo was naieve, one of those bright eyed children who the Service had taken to recruiting and she made no secret of the fact that she was not a fan of Ros. Not that Ros gave a shit, of course, but one day she might end up relying on that crappy poker face and she didn't fancy dying because of it. So maybe she was hard on Jo to start with but that's only because Ros quite liked her life. There was no one else to teach her, that was for sure. Adam was wrapped up in himself and Zaf couldn't do anything but flirt and Harry couldn't see past Ruth to save his own bloody life.

So it had to be Ros and she had to be hard, because the Service was hard and this life was hard and Jo needed to be hard too, or she wouldn't last past her second year, and Ros quite liked her, despite it all.

_**Lucas and Tariq - Another One Bites The Dust**_

They drove together to Ros' funeral. Lucas decided they would, took one look at Harry's face and bailed from sharing the car with him and Ruth. Tariq was only grateful that he rescued him too.

After the funeral, Harry and Ruth headed off quickly and they stayed for one more drink, and then Lucas put his foot down, literally.

"Want to see what they teach you in spy school?" he asked, and Tariq nodded because who wouldn't?

Lucas raced, like literally raced, and as he overtook slow moving cars that were probably doing 70 themselves, Tariq could only laugh because somehow he actually felt safe. And when they caught up to Harry and Ruth, turning into a service station halfway back to London, Lucas decided to stop for coffee too and Tariq's legs were shaking and he realised he had forgotten it all, just for a minute or two.

_**Dimitri and Calum - Science + Faith**_

"The Hydron Collider?" Calum leaned over Dimitri's shoulder and eyed the news article he was reading, "Didn't think that would be your sort of thing."

"Why's that, then?"

"Well, you know...Big Bang and all that. I thought you were Orthodox."

"Raised Orthodox," Dimitri murmured, doing his very best to ignore him, "Doesn't make me ignorant, Calum."

"Never said it did," Calum ignored his tone and sat on the edge of the desk, "I just thought you would be more sceptical about stuff like this."

"Then you don't know me very well."

Calum had the good grace to look chastised and he was quiet for a moment, reading over Dimitri's shoulder.

"Pretty impressive isn't it, mate?" he said eventually.

"Yeah. Yeah it is."

_**Harry and Colin - Foundations**_

Section A was an odd place but they had more than their fair share of techies and Harry needed to poach one or two for Section D. The head of section was pleased to get rid of a few and he volunteered a couple. Harry's eye was caught by a different one though, a young man with glasses who was raving about some bug he had been given to dissect, and Harry was reminded of Malcolm. He considered that it might be good to find someone that Malcolm could bond with - he'd been quiet lately.

"What's your name?" Harry asked.

"Colin Wells."

"What's your opinion of Douglas Adams?"

The man furrowed his brow but didn't miss a beat.

"He's my favourite author. Why?"

"No reason. I need you in Section D, Colin. Will you consider joining us?"

"Yeah, alright. I'll give it a think."

_**Tom and Malcolm - When I Look To The Sky**_

He was standing on the roof, inhaler in hand, bundled in his winter coat. His face was turned towards the night sky and he only looked around when Tom came to stand besides him.

"Are you alright, Malcolm?"

"Fine. I just needed some fresh air."

"What are you looking at?"

Malcolm narrowed his eyes slightly and then sighed, gesturing towards the sky.

"I used to go star gazing with my father, when I was a boy. One can't see the stars here, not really. Had you noticed?"

"I haven't really thought about it," Tom said, surprised at Malcolm's unusual willingness to share what he was thinking.

"Well, you should," Malcolm shook his inhaler absently and drew deeply on it, "It's all in the details, this life of ours. And the stars are an important part of that."

"Why's that?"

"One always knows where one is when one can see the stars. My father used to tell me that."

"And when you can't see them?"

"I think that speaks for itself, don't you?"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N – This chapter was hard. I'm not sure why. Thanks as usual for the reviews and the support!**

_**Zoe and Sam – For The Girl**_

"I didn't know," Sam was trying hard not to sob, the hand wrapped around her wine glass trembling, "And Harry – Harry was so-"

"I know," Zoe murmured, taking a sip from her own glass, "He's like that. He takes it personally."

"But Tessa-"

"She's far worse than he will ever be. She played me too, you know. Don't worry."

Sam's tears spilt over then and Zoe reached for her hand, covering it with her own. The bar was noisy and far away from the usual Spook haunts, but Zoe had not thought it would do Sam any good to run into anyone that they knew.

"Is he ever going to let me forget it?" Sam sniffed, "Will he ever trust me again?"

"He will," Zoe smiled gently, "And we already do. It's not your fault. We know it. We all do."

For the first time, Sam smiled, and downed the rest of her drink.

"Well in that case, this next drink is on me."

_**Danny and Tessa – Titanium**_

The first real interrogation he had ever attended and Harry had sent Tessa in to take a turn at the suspect. Danny had already watched Tom fail at getting anything from the man, a six and a half foot tall monster of a bloke who looked so much like a bad guy that it was almost comical. Danny followed Tessa into the room and watched as she sat, taking her time, arranging the files she was carrying, clearing her throat. The suspect had smirked when she came in and he was still smirking when she eventually started to speak.

"So, Mister…Johnson," she smiled, "Let's begin, shall we?"

"If you feel like it, darling," he leered, "Get rid of the puppy and we can really talk."

Tessa chuckled and ignored Danny's intake of breath, leaning instead across the table to take the bloke's ear in her hand. Danny couldn't see what she did but the man whimpered and Tess laughed again.

"So, I will say it again. Let's begin."

_**Ruth and Fiona – Blah Blah Blah**_

"And then I said, 'Well mate, I don't know what that is but it definitely is not for putting in your hair.'"

Zaf finished his story with a flair and his audience laughed appreciatively. They were crowded in the kitchen; Zaf, Adam, Colin, Malcolm, even Harry had come over to see what was going on. Ruth rolled her eyes and turned back to her screen, catching Fiona's eye as she did so. Fiona smiled and moved her chair over to Ruth's desk, eyes on the crowd in the kitchen.

"Do you ever feel a little outnumbered sometimes?" Ruth asked, "A little unable to get the joke?"

"Perhaps," Fiona nodded, still watching the rest of their team, "But there's something quite lovely about them laughing, isn't there? None of them laugh enough."

Ruth turned to look again, saw a grin on Harry's face, and felt herself smile indulgently.

"You're right. Quite lovely."

_**Adam and Ros – This Is War **_

She wasn't going to break first. She wasn't going to make the first move. He was at her house, drinking her wine, eating her food, but she wasn't going to make the move.

She moved to the sofa and he followed, with no hesitation. He sat beside her and moved a stray lock of hair behind her ear, running his fingertips down her jaw and over her lips. She smirked, moving her eyes to meet his and seeing the hint of a challenge in them. He continued with his fingertips, down her throat and over her bare shoulder, down the inside of her arm and finally to her palm, where he took her hand in his and looked back to her face again. She held her breath, and waited.

"Am I winning?" he whispered, pressing his lips to her ear.

"Not even close," she murmured.

"Well," he breathed, "I'll just have to try harder."

And he moved to kiss her, taking the breath she was holding, and her resolve, with it.

_**Jo and Ben – Man In The Mirror **_

He rolled out of bed, pulling on his boxers, and padded to the bathroom. Jo listened to him next door and gave him a few minutes before she followed him. Ben was standing in front of the mirror but he wasn't looking in it. Rather, he was holding a tub of wax, turning it in his hands. At the sound of her footsteps, he looked up and gazed at her reflection.

"Was this his? Zaf's?"

"Must have been," she said, trying to make her voice light, "He had so much crap for his hair."

"You didn't throw it away?"

"I suppose I got used to it being there. Does it bother you?"

Perhaps he heard something in her tone, because he looked up again sharply and she saw his eyes narrow as he scrutinised her face.

"Why would it bother me?"

"I don't know. He was just Zaf, you know. He was my friend."

"You miss him though."

Ben's voice was soft and for the first time, Jo looked away.

"I do."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N – I'm going to try and keep these relatively canon-ish, by the way, in case anyone was wondering. And, to that end, I do believe the subject of the Harry and Tessa drabble is probably what happened at some point. Thanks again for reviews and support. You should all tell me if you think I am getting a bit repetitive at any point!**

_**Lucas and Beth - Living On A Thin Line**_

It was weeks before she found out who Lucas was, where he had been, how he had suffered, and finally he began to make sense. She'd put it down to spy paranoia, the instinct that all Spooks had to guard themselves and never quite let people know them. Russia explained so much more; Dimitri's hero worship of him, Ruth's tendancy to check on him, Harry's habit of watching him as though he was never quite sure of what he would do. Beth got the feeling Lucas' appointment as Section Chief was more from a lack of options than from Harry's wholehearted endorsement.

So Beth resolved to treat Lucas no differently to how she had when she first met him. He was achingly perceptive and he knew what people thought of him, even people who were so good at hiding it. She resolved to treat him the same because, she reckoned, if anything was likely to make Russia a problem, it would be Lucas' realisation that people believed it had changed him.

_**Calum and Tariq - Live And Let Die**_

Calum rode in the ambulance with Tariq, flashing his ID at the paramedic and threatening his job if the man refused him. Tariq was already gone, had been long before the ambulance arrived, but Calum couldn't leave him alone. It wasn't fair to leave him.

Harry had gone back to the office, to make the calls he needed to make, and he had just nodded when Calum climbed into the ambulance too. It was a short ride to the hospital and a short walk downstairs to the mortuary where the MI5-friendly pathologist was already waiting. Tariq was rolled in and Calum paced the corridors until Harry called him and told him he needed to come back to work. Calum almost refused, his forehead pressed to the window as he watched the pathologist work, and then he gave up, walking away before his resolve was lost to him. He couldn't help Tariq here and now.

He would have to find another way.

_**Harry and Tessa - God Help The Outcasts/Nobody Knows**_

He'd lost her. Harry cleared his throat as he watched Tessa leave the Grid for the last time. He'd lost her as much as if she had been shot in front of him. She was dead now, in all the ways that mattered, in all the ways that the Service counted anyway. Tessa had never been a bad sort - desperate to have his job, of course, but then a fair few people could make that claim. He always thought they had resolved their tension, on that one stupid night a thousand years ago when too much brandy and an anonymous hotel room had lead to an argument that almost had them thrown out mid-op and then a night of angry but hugely satisfying sex.

Tessa had never mentioned it after that; never mentioned that night, never mentioned the job, never mentioned anything more. And, with the bitterness that only hindsight could provide, Harry realised that should have been the first sign that he had a problem.

_**Tom and Sam - Little People**_

The weather, so recently terrible, had finally begun to pick up and Sam was enjoying her afternoon away from the office. Tom was meeting an asset and Sam had tagged along, child in tow to complete the disguise.

She perched on a bench, coffee in hand, watching Tom kick a football with the boy, a five year old borrowed from one of the junior analysts. They had been playing for a good twenty minutes and the little boy was hopeless, but Tom was displaying a patience that Sam had never seen on the Grid. When the kid got tired and asked for an ice-cream, Tom scooped up the ball and took him to the nearby ice cream van, lifting him so he could point to what he wanted on the menu.

It was the most chilled she had ever seen him, the most genuine smile on his face, and she thought of his ex and the little girl he had lost, and she sighed.

Sometimes, their job really, really sucked.

_**Malcolm and Zoe - Don't Carry It All**_

Zoe had been in the Archives for hours, digging out a few old files that Harry had decided would help for the current operation. He'd called it a few but by the time Zoe was done, the pile was so enormous that she decided she must have done something to upset him.

She staggered under the weight of them, backing out of the door and trying to press the button for the lift without losing her tenuous grip on the stack. Now she had a hold on them, she wasn't sure she would be able to get it just right again.

The young officer who ran into her as she left the lift probably didn't mean to knock the pile from her hands, but he definitely meant it when he didn't even stop to apologise.

"Shit," Zoe sighed, sinking to her knees and trying to put the right papers back in the right files, "Shit, shit, shit."

At her side, someone knelt quietly and murmured, "Let me help you."

"Malcolm," she smiled, never more pleased to see him, "Thank you."

"It's no problem," he twitched his lips, "Anything for you."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N – I really enjoyed these ones, especially the Ros and Tariq one. My usual thanks! This is about halfway through now, if I ever get to the end! **

_**Danny and Colin - Are We There Yet?**_

It turned out that driving out of London on a Friday afternoon was a really, really terrible idea. They'd been stuck in traffic for two hours already and even an emergency call to Malcolm to see if he could find them a way out had come up with nothing. Sam had fallen asleep in the back seat barely twenty minutes in, coming off a double shift, and the CD Danny had made for the trip was already finished. Colin had switched the radio on and now they listened to the presenter cheerfully telling them what they already knew; that he M25 was murder and wasn't going to clear anytime soon.

"Ah well," Colin sighed, reaching into the bag at his feet and pulling out two Cokes. He handed one to Danny and went back again, taking out the biggest bag of crisps that Danny had ever seen and his CD wallet.

"Might as well settle in, mate," he said, opening the crisps and handing the bag to Danny. He flipped open the wallet and perused the CDs carefully.

"I don't reckon you like Douglas Adams, do you? I got the Hitchhikers audio book here."

Danny smiled softly. He was sat with his friends and a thousand other people in a traffic jam and he thought of why this trip to Norfolk had been put off before and he just had nothing, nothing right then, that he could complain about.

"Sounds great, mate," he murmured, "Stick it on."

_**Ruth and Zaf - Days**_

On the first day, Zaf asked her what coffee she liked best, and on the second day he brought it to her in the morning, along with his own.

On the third day, he brought the coffee again and a pain au chocolat, because he had seen her eating one the day before. On the fourth, there was coffee and a Danish and on the fifth, Ruth finally asked him what he was doing.

"Harry never found out," he said, as though that somehow answered the question.

"Pardon?"

"The thing with the paperwork last week," he muttered furtively, "The thing I cocked up. Harry never found out."

"And?"

He rolled his eyes good naturedly.

"You saved me, Ruth," he said, "I haven't forgotten."

"You don't have to pay me back, Zaf," she said gently, "I'd do it again."

"Well, just let me have this."

He looked so sincere that she picked up the cup and bag of cherry bakewell he had delivered that morning.

"It's a lovely idea, Zaf. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Can I have the cherry?"

_**Adam and Ben - Dressed For The Opera**_

Ben stood in the locker room, eyeing himself critically in the mirror. He'd never worn a tux before but the rented one didn't look too bad, bearing in mind that it was a very last minute acquisition for an undercover function that had suddenly come up.

He took the bow tie in his hand and stared helplessly at it, completely lost as to how he was supposed to tie it. He didn't want his colleagues to know he was so ignorant; Adam and Harry, of course, owned their own tuxedos, hadn't needed to rush out and hire one. Ben was trying to figure out how he could go and find Connie and ask her without being spotted, when Adam came in, comb and tub of hair wax in hand.

"Alright, mate? Looks good on you."

Ben ducked his head and nodded, before throwing the last of his resolve to the wind and holding out the bow tie.

"I have no idea what to do with this."

Adam smiled and took the stupid thing, tying it perfectly the first time.

"Don't worry," he grinned, clapping Ben on the shoulder, "I won't tell anyone."

_**Jo and Connie - Professional Pirate**_

"Connie, can I ask you something?"

"That depends on what you want to know," Connie turned to look at Jo, who for once did not look away. She was getting more confident.

"What happened to you, to force you out of the service? You're so good at what you do. I can't imagine it."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Joanna," Connie said tartly, "And curiosity killed the cat."

Jo blushed a little but she still looked expectant.

"The same thing that happens to us all, in the end. Something goes wrong and someone has to pay for it. That was me."

"Oh."

"Dull, I know," Connie allowed herself a small smile, "No exciting Ros Myers style exit. No villainy."

"Yeah, I thought so."

Connie turned back to her computer, before Jo could look at her any more closely.

_**Ros and Tariq - Wasted Youth/ Not While I'm Around**_

"Do you own a shirt that isn't emblazoned with the name of some sweaty musician?"

"Yes," Tariq said defensively, pushing out his bottom lip as Ros stood over him, her eyebrows raised, "I own lots of shirts."

"You could have fooled me," she drawled, "Perhaps you could begin wearing them when you are on the Grid. This is a professional place, Tariq."

"But they're so-"

"Boring, I know. Well, welcome to the real world. Be grateful I'm not asking for a tie as well."

He cringed and she must have seen, because her voice got a little bit softer.

"I'll make you a deal. Lose the musicians, keep the normal t-shirts and put a few big boy shirts in your locker for when the Queen comes to visit, OK? Deal?"

"Deal," he grinned, "Do you want me to lose this shirt right now?"

"Unless you have a better replacement, I most definitely do not."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N – Thanks again for reviews and all, you lovely people.**

_**Harry and Sam - Faith**_

He caught her in the forgery suite, on one of his rare forays there to find Colin. She was sitting at the table, head bowed, hands clasped before her. She could have been thinking but Harry knew better; the isolation, the mouthing of words, the look of concentration on her face.

Sam was praying.

He knew she had been raised in a fairly Christian household - he'd read her file, afer all - but he did not realise she was practicing now. So few people in the service ever maintained their faith. He himself had lost his years ago, resigned himself to a life of none the first time he had killed a man and found he could not step into a church for months afterwards. The only remnents he had were the Bible quotes he could still recall at a moment's notice.

God had abandoned him years ago.

And so he stood guard for a moment, out of sight, letting her finish uninterrupted, before he walked away.

_**Tom and Tessa - Part of Your World**_

He got the call exactly three years after he left the service, three years to the day. He was in Italy, living there for six months whilst Christine worked, and he was sat in a cafe, waiting for her.

The number was unknown and he shouldn't have answered it. The old curiosity always got the better of him.

"Hello?"

"Tom,"a woman's voice, purring, "How are you, darling?"

_Tessa._

_Tessa Phillips._

"How-"

"You know I can do just about anything I like. How are you?"

"Fine," he said shortly. He should have hung up. He should have ditched the phone. He should have.

"I have a job offer for you, Tom. Back in the game."

_Like a snake, smooth and dangerous._

"I don't want your job."

"Now-"

"No."

_Like a snake. He had nothing for her._

_**Zoe and Ruth - Firework**_

5th November was a hellish day for all branches of law enforcement, from the lowliest cop on the beat all the way up to the Head of Counter-Terrorism. Every crackpot anti-establishmentarian fancied being the new Guy Fawkes, only more successful and less tortured.

Ruth had drawn the short straw in being scheduled to work the night shift, but it was made marginally better when Zoe was set to work too. The rest of the team was on call, but all in all, the day had been blessedly quiet and the evening looked to be shaping up that way too.

At just after nine, Zoe disappeared for a little while, and came back with baked potatoes wrapped in foil and drenched in butter, and enormous cups of hot chocolate, melted marshmellows floating on the surface.

"Where did these come from?"

"Food cart, down by the river. I saw him on my way in. It's not Bonfire Night without baked potatoes."

Taking an appreciative sip of the chocolate, Ruth sat back in her chair and smiled.

"It certainly helps to make the day a little more bearable."

_**Danny and Malcolm - The Joker**_

"Come on, Malcolm, you went to a public school. You must have picked up a few tricks."

Malcolm didn't look up from what he was doing, just shifted his eyes up for a moment to look at Danny's expectant face.

"I never was one for practical jokes."

"But you must have seen some. Come on, Colin got me last year. I need to return the favour.."

"Harry went to public school. Bother him."

"Oh, like that's going to happen. Come on Malcolm, please."

Sighing, Malcolm put down the motherboard he was operating on and looked at the young man properly. April Fool's Day was so terribly juvenile, but then he often forgot that Danny and Colin were so much younger than him.

"Well," he said carefully, "I do remember one. You need a sock, a bunch of grapes and a cigarette lighter - write this down - and what you do is..."

_**Colin and Adam - Someday My Prince Will Come**_

"Ah, he loved it," Adam was saying, "I wasn't sure he would, with the princess and everything, but he did."

"Good," Ruth smiled, "Every little boy needs Disney."

"Yeah," Adam ran his hand through his hair, "I'll have to get him some more when I get the chance."

Colin grinned secretly, his eavesdropping over as they moved away from his desk. He scribbled something down on a post-it note and that night, stopped at the computer shop on his way home.

Three days later, he presented Adam with a stack of DVDs, freshly burned.

"What's this?"

"Disney films, for Wes. My favourites."

"How did you-"

"Overheard you and Ruth. I didn't get you a birthday present, so have these for him instead."

Adam smiled, a real genuine smile.

"You shouldn't have gone to so much trouble."

"No trouble. Already had them downloaded for my niece."

"Is it legal?"

Colin felt himself blush and ducked his head, "Not entirely."

Adam chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Thanks, mate. Thanks so much."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N – Thanks for reviews and reading. Harry and Ruth was the hardest one so far, I think, and I'm still not happy with it. Maybe I have **_**slightly too much**_** to say when it comes to those two...**

_**Sam and Fiona - Everything's Alright**_

Fiona was looking at a framed photo on her desk when Sam went over, bearing a gift of freshly made coffee, coffee that she hoped would dostract her colleague for long enough that she wanted to talk for a while, to break up the tedium of the day. Colin was tucked up in the forgery suite but everyone else, even Ruth, was out of the office.

Sam hated paperwork days, even as she realised that paperwork days meant no one was going to die.

"Coffee," she announced, planting Fiona's mug on the desk and herself on the edge of it, "How it's going?"

"Great," Fiona smiled, and she was so genuine that Sam believed she was having the best day, writing up reports and chasing up assets.

Then she saw that the photograph Fiona was gazing at was of Wes, a new one if Sam was remembering correctly, one of him in his new school uniform.

"He's gorgeous," she said, sipping her coffee, "How is his new school? Settling in?"

"He loves it. I knew he would."

And, if it possible, as talk turned to Wes, Fiona's smile got even bigger.

_**Jo and Lucas - Drink With Me**_

He didn't want to go to _The George_, but it was the closest place with alcohol to the Grid and he really bloody needed it. So he ordered a beer and he took himself off to a corner and he watched, because that's what Lucas did best.

The pub was busy but Jo found him anyway, so quickly he wondered if she had followed him, and then he realised it didn't matter if she had. She was here, when no one else was.

"Ros had to go," she said apologetically, glass of white wine in hand, "But I thought I might be good enough, if you just want to drink."

He lifted his beer in a mock salute and then downed it, standing to fetch another one before she had even taken a sip of wine.

"Well, in that case," she grinned, "I'd better hurry up."

_**Harry and Ruth - Not Perfect**_

He is an aggressive, tempermental relic of a day long past, a Cold War spy stuck in a modern world of espionage that he admits he can sometimes barely understand.

He has a terrible history with women; an ex-wife and two children he doesn't know and a list of conquests so long she doesn't even want to know, and he lies and he has secrets of his own beyond the national ones he keeps, and he is paranoid and suspicious, and he drinks too much and he doesn't exercise and one day stress will kill him, if a terrorist doesn't get there first.

She knows all of this, all of this and the things that _are_ perfect too.

And she loves him.

So much.

_**Tom and Adam - Shot You Down**_

He'd barely been gone, a few days out of the door and Harry had already replaced him. And, to make it worse, so much worse, it was with some jumped up James Bond from Six who called him 'Tom' like they were old friends but who wouldn't even let him blink without watching and noting it.

_Bastard. Bastard. Bastard_. Tom didn't even know if he was cursing Harry, or Adam, or himself.

And Adam was good, so bloody good, that for the first time Tom realised that Section D would go on without him and not one of his old friends would even argue at Adam succeeding him.

_Perhaps he could leave them after all._

Adam would be there now, the new protegée, the new big brother, the new parent, the new wonder kid.

Perhaps Tom could leave them. Perhaps everything would be alright.

_**Zoe and Colin - Cry**_

He didn't need Tom to tell him that he had to be discreet over Zoe's video, as though Colin was some emotionally stunted moron. He'd seen Zoe across the Grid, seen her go running towards the ladies and he'd seen the tears on her face. Tom had told her then.

Zoe didn't look at Colin for the rest of the day, once she'd emerged from the toilets, and he hoped she didn't think he'd laughed or worse, enjoyed watching her in that hotel. He'd felt sick, in truth, and looked away. He wanted to tell her this, to go over and tell her nothing had changed, his respect for her was intact, but he was too scared of what she would say.

So he stayed quiet and when Tom came to tell him to lose the tape, Colin didn't tell him he'd already done it, hours ago. He couldn't tell Tom that, anymore than he could tell Zoe that he would do anything, risk his job and all, just to make her smile.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N – Thanks for reviews. This one ended up quite sad, especially the last one. **

_**Danny and Fiona - She's Always A Woman**_

Danny was never entirely sure how Fiona did it, but she somehow managed to come back after being out in the field looking exactly, exactly, as she had done when she left. She could have gone and wrestled with a tiger and he suspected she would still come back looking unruffled and totally beautiful, as always. He couldn't even tell how she did it when he was her partner in the field and, if she ever caught him watching her, she would just smile as though she could tell what he was thinking.

One day, he finally found the right moment to ask her.

"Honestly?" she shrugged, "i just don't care about it. It's quite amazing how much self perception changes what others think and see."

"Wow," he nodded, impressed.

"And witchcraft," she deadpanned, "There's the witchcraft too."

_**Malcolm and Zaf - Anyway You Want It**_

"Come on then, Malcolm, place your bet."

Zaf planted himself into the spare chair in the Den, notebook in hand. He watched Malcolm finish fiddling with the bug he was holding and then turn, one eyebrow raised.

"I beg your pardon? What bet?"

"The Harry and Ruth bet," he grinned, "I'll give you good odds."

"No, thank you," Malcolm shook his head, "I'll stay out of that, if you don't mind."

"Come on," Zaf wheedled, "You've been watching them the longest. You want it as much as we do."

"Perhaps I do think it would be good for them," he replied, "But I will not make a game of it."

"It's not a game," Zaf said, feeling suddenly guilty. Thankfully, Malcolm smiled.

"I know," he said gently, "I'll just keep my thoughts to myself, if that's alright with you."

_**Colin and Jo - Forget You**_

Rowan was watching her when Zaf phoned with the news of Colin's murder and Jo found she couldn't compose her face quickly enough in order to not betray herself to her companion.

"What's happened?" he asked, full of concern. She knew she should lie to him, but her brain felt frozen, still processing the idea that Colin would have been hurt.

_Sweet, funny Colin._

"Uh," she stumbled, "It's a friend of mine. He - he's killed himself."

"Oh my God," Rowan helped her to a chair, "I'm so sorry. Were you close?"

"Not close enough," Jo felt hot tears well in her eyes, "But he was lovely. And so smart. I should have given him more time. He asked me out for a drink a couple of times and I always said no."

"I'm sorry," Rowan repeated, "Did you know he was unhappy?"

Jo was saved having to answer by the tears. They'd long spilled over.

_**Lucas and Dimitri - No Place Like London**_

"Alpha One, he's on the move," Dimitri jogged after the target, who was walking suddenly as though he knew he was being tailed, "I think he's on to us."

"Copy that, Alpha Two," Lucas' voice came over the comm, "I've got him. He's heading into the station. Who's closest?"

"You, I think," Dimitri tried to dodge two buses that had appeared from nowhere, cutting him off, "Bloody buses."

"Following him into the station," Lucas said shortly.

Dimitri finally made it across the road, caught in a crowd of shoppers and the people leaving the bus. He sprinted into the underground station and down the escalator, just in time to see Lucas slam into the closed doors as the train moved away.

"Lost him," Lucas said darkly, "Control, find him. CCTV, anything. Dimitri, when's the next-"

_"We are sorry to announce that an incident on the line will be closing this section of the Northern Line immediately."_

As the announcement echoed, the train reversed back into the station, bringing the mark right back to them."

Dimitri grinned, "I love public transport."

_**Harry and Adam - Please Forgive Me / Braveheart**_

Wes asked him to sit nnext to him at Adam's funeral and Harry had no power to refuse the boy. Fiona's parents weren't so happy but they couldn't deny Wes anymore than Harry could.

Adam had virtually no family but he had met and worked with and helped so many people that the funeral had a decent turn out. Malcolm had chosen a reading for Harry, at Harry's request, and he had to gently uncurl from Wes' fingers from around his own when the time came to give it.

The coffin was for show only, although Wes had chosen Adam's favourite jumper and his ancient teddy bear to take the place of the body. Harry laid a hand on the smooth wood as he walked past, thought of the bear and of Wes and of Adam and his knees almost gave way beneath him.

_Adam. Oh God. Why was it him when he was so brave and he had that little boy? Why was it him when Harry was still living and breathing?_

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, "I'm so sorry."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N – Sorry it's been a while, gang, I've been crazy busy. I am going to finish this, I only have about seven chapters to go – we're almost there!**

_**Tom and Ruth – Afraid**_

He was holding her entire life in his hands, and he knew it. Tom had a terrifyingly good poker face and he gave nothing away as he stared at her now. Ruth quite liked Tom, despite the fact that he was one of the most guarded people she had ever met, but right now she was more scared of him than she had ever been of anyone in her entire life. GCHQ would take her back and that would be it – she would be stuck there for the rest of her career and, worse than that, she would have failed for the first time ever.

Perhaps Tom could read her mind, because he was certainly prepared to let her suffer. He could be cruel, her knight in shining armour, but then he gave her a nod and, just like that, she was safe.

And she still adored him, cruelty and all.

_**Malcolm and Tessa – I'd Come For You**_

Malcolm had always tried to get along with people, forced into close quarters as he so often had been, from the school dorm all the way through to the Grid. He could never like her though, Tessa Phillips, who delighted in turning Harry in circles and bullying Colin and who was the least giving colleague Malcolm had ever had. He muddled along though, as best he could, and might never have let her know what he thought had she not one day decided to help herself to a tracker without asking.

He caught her on the way out of the cupboard, not even attempting to hide what she was doing, and he felt an unfamiliar rage bubble inside him.

"Excuse me. I don't believe I've seen the paperwork for that."

"Oh come on Malcolm," she smiled, her voice full of the sort of honey that she never usually saved for him, "A little discretion between colleagues, hmmm?"

He felt an unusual kind of malicious joy when he plucked the bug from her hands and returned a smile that he hoped was as fake looking as her own.

"I don't think so. Paperwork or nothing. I don't do favours for people who have none for me."

_**Harry and Erin – Learn To Be Lonely**_

He'd once believed that Ros Myers was the most similar person to himself that he had ever meet, or ever would meet, but as time went by he began to see increasingly that Erin was learning fast from him and sometimes he wondered how far her following of his example would go.

He watched her with Dimitri, the way they carefully stepped around one another, and he watched how she tried to juggle her daughter with her work and Harry had to admire her, because she was trying ten times harder than he ever had to make her life work.

And so sometimes he went easy on her; easier than he used to go on Tom or Ros or Lucas or even Adam, because he knew himself and he knew what would come next for her if she wasn't given space to breath, like he had never been granted. He went easy on her because he was her future, and there was nothing he hated more than people who did not learn from their pasts.

_**Colin and Zaf – With A Little Help From My Friends**_

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit."

Zaf cursed out loud as he saw the press of London traffic waiting for him. Today was his niece's birthday party, a party he had promised and sworn on his life that he would be there for and now because he had left the Grid late, he was going to be so screwed. His Mum was going to kill him.

"Shit," he said again, just because he could, and eased into the traffic.

He had been sitting for just over five minutes when his phone went off. The caller ID was Colin's Thames House number.

"Where are you?" Colin's voice was cheery – clearly no emergencies.

"Not even over the river yet," Zaf said miserably, "I'm screwed, mate."

"Nah," Colin said, "I've got you. Take a left onto Bank Street and I'll guide you out."

"Are you on the CCTV? Is that allowed?"

"Maybe. Definitely not."

"I owe you one, Colin."

"It'll keep. Pull your finger out and you might make it yet."

_**Adam and Connie – Holding Out For A Hero**_

He was reckless, a reckless man who had probably been a reckless boy and who was probably lucky to not have died much sooner than he had. Connie barely knew Adam, compared to the rest of her new team, but the moment he informed them he was jumping in that car, she knew that he was going to die. She could feel it, a sixth sense that had been shaped by her years in the job and had not been diminished at all by her time in exile. She knew it was coming.

She didn't see until it was too late that no one else had seen it. Ben, she understood. He was young and new and innocent. Malcolm was busy directing, hoping, thinking like Adam would win because he might, he just might. But Harry. Harry didn't see it.

_He expected Adam to live._

And it was that expectation of Harry's, so out of his character when he was usually so pragmatic, that told her everything she had been missing about Adam Carter, about who he was. And she learned it too late. Already too late.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N – We're getting towards the end of this now and you should all be ready for increased levels of Harry, Malcolm, Ruth and Adam. I kind of failed slightly in spreading them out at the start and now I find myself with something like ten Harry drabbles left and only seven chapters. So yes – apologies! Also thanks for continued reviews and support :)**

_**Harry and Fiona - I Know Him So Well**_

"Is Adam...losing himself in this?"

Harry wasn't looking at her, something Fiona still found unnerving about him. Sometimes, he would stare at you until your face burned and sometimes his eyes would fix in the middle distance but you would still end up burning - even his lack of eye contact was a weapon.

"He's fine. For now. You've read his file. You don't need to ask me."

Harry did look then, jerking his head up quickly and narrowing his eyes.

"I value your opinion," he said softly, "We both know how...delicate this matter is for him."

"He's fine," Fiona repeated, feeling chastised, "I'll always tell you the truth, Harry. Whenever you ask it of me."

Harry nodded and she left the office slowly, suddenly unsure of whether he had really wanted to talk about Adam or if the conversation had actually been about her.

God, the man was a master.

_**Adam and Zoe - Breathe**_

"Can I tell you a secret?"

Zoe paused in slipping her headphones on and glanced at Adam. He sounded unsure of himself, perhaps the first time she had ever heard it from him.

"Please."

"I'm crap at this. The firearms qualification," he said, gazing at the gun in his hand, "The only thing I've ever failed, for Five and Six."

"Okay," Zoe said slowly, "No problem. A lot of people fail it. I'm not going to give you detention."

"I know," he grinned, and he was back to Adam, "Just - go easy on me, alright?"

"I might," she smirked, "I might enjoy knowing the great Adam Carter has a weakness."

"We all have weaknesses."

"I know. Try what I do - count your breaths and don't think about the gun. It works, trust me."

"Always."

_**Ruth and Danny - Look Down**_

She found him on the roof, brooding. Brooding was something he had done a lot of recently, but Ruth could hardly blame him. He'd lost Tom and Zoe so quickly she wasn't surprised his head was spinning.

She moved to stand next to him, threading her arm through his. As of late, she was the only one who could get near to him. He sighed and leaned into her.

"Why are we here, Ruth?"

"I followed you up here-"

"I mean in the service. We're good people, you and me. We could do anything. Why are we here?"

For a moment, she had no answer. Then she moved a step closer to the edge and pointed.

"Zoe's dad lives over that way. Malcolm's mother too."

She turned around.

"Colin's sister lives in that direction, with her children. Harry's Catherine has a flat over there too."

"What's this-"

"We're here for them, Danny. We're here for their safety and our own peace of mind, in knowing we did everything we could do. That's the only answer I can give you."

"It's a good one," he smiled softly, "Not bad at all."

_**Harry and Lucas - Things That Stop You Dreaming**_

Lucas waits, like a good little boy, like a good little spy. He waits, because Harry will come for him. Harry wouldn't leave him in this godforesaken place.

Oleg says that Harry doesn't care, that Lucas has been here for years and years already, but Lucas dreams of them. He dreams of his team, of his friends, of Harry. Oleg can't get to his dreams.

At least, he can't get to them at first.

Soon, the things he says begin to make sense. Harry has abandoned him. Harry doesn't care. Harry saw his chance to be rid of him.

Harry knows the truth. Harry knows who he is. Harry knows what he did. Harry is good, so impossibly good when everyone else goes bad eventually. Harry is leaving him here to die. Harry isn't coming.

Oleg gets to the dreams eventually.

He makes them into nightmares instead.

_**Malcolm and Jo - Kings and Queens**_

"You don't want to do that."

Malcolm's voice was kind, so infinitely patient when Jo knew she would have given up on her by now. She gazed at the board between them and realised her mistake, moving her knight instead of the bishop that her hand had been hovering over.

"Much better," Malcolm nodded approvingly, already reaching to move his queen in retaliation, "You're picking it up."

Jo blushed, pleased with the praise and also pleased there was no one else around to see just how exceedingly bad she was. She also realised that she was screwed - he'd manoeuvered her into a corner, one that she would have been trapped in regardless of her last move.

"You kept that to yourself," she muttered good naturedly and Malcolm smiled, one of his lovely, real smiles.

"Well, it's good form to learn how to lose. I'm helping you, really."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N – And a second bonus chapter today, because I am on a roll!**

_**Ruth and Erin - The Rainbow Connection**_

Erin was tacking a large painting to the side of her desk when Ruth found her. It was a rainbow, a child's painting, complete with a pot of gold, fluffy clouds and flying birds.

"Rosie," Erin smiled, "My mum bought her a whole new set of paints. My kitchen is in chaos."

"It's beautiful," Ruth said, "Well worth the mess."

The next day, there was a miniature version of the painting waiting on Ruth's desk.

"I told Rosie she had a fan," Erin shrugged, when Ruth went to thank her, "I didn't even know she'd done it until she gave it to me this morning."

It seemed only fair that Ruth send some Kinder Eggs as payment for such a masterpiece. She was definitely getting the best end of the deal.

_**Malcolm and Connie - Oh, Sing Sweet Nightingale**_

It was easy enough to identify the pleasant sounding tenor voice coming from the Forgery Suite, quite aside from the fact it was singing a Welsh lullaby.

Connie crept to the door and peeked in - Malcolm was in there sorthing through an enormous pile of paper files. He clearly believed he was alone on the Grid, aside from Harry who was shut up in his office, or he wouldn't be singing. He was so terribly shy like that.

Connie had half a mind to make herself known to him, but something stopped her. He seemed so happy that she couldn't bear to interrupt him. Carefully, she stepped back and slid the door closed as quietly as she could, shutting him into his own private space.

It was only when she glanced in the window as she left that she saw him watching her. She winked and blew him a kiss, just to see him blush. The singing started again, softer this time, as she walked away.

_**Harry and Zaf - Breakeven**_

"Come on, Harry," Zaf wheedled, "Adam said you're great at this. Give me your tip for the three o'clock race."

"I can't say I approve of on-line betting whilst you are are at work, Zafar," Harry said seriously, and Zaf was unable to tell if he was joking or not.

"It's not online. I've got some mates down at the track today for a stag do and as I'm working so hard and can't even take the day off to join them, I just thought that I could have a little bit of fun and-"

"Alright, alright," Harry shook his head, more exasperated than annoyed, "Give me the paper."

He scanned it for a minute and nodded.

"Jimmy's Lass. Can't go wrong with that one."

"Thanks Harry," Zaf smiled sweetly, already mid-text, "I'll give you a commission."

"Just get back to work, Zafar. That will do me well enough."

_**Ruth and Calum - Flowers In The Rain**_

Ruth had been cremated, her ashes spread on the beach next to the house she and Harry were to live in, and her name carved on the Thames House wall for way of a memorial.

Calum hated visiting that wall.

Instead, he would take himself to the park where he and Ruth used to share lunch sometimes, whenever he wanted to remember his friend. It seemed more fitting for them, somehow. He would sit on their bench and he would place three tulips on her side.

One day it was raining but he went anyway. He placed the carefully wrapped tulips beside him and he was struck by the thought that flowers looked so much more beautiful in the rain.

And then he was crying, the first time he had cried for Ruth, and he wasn't even sure why.

_**Danny and Adam - Temper, Temper**_

"Thanks, Malcolm, that's just bloody great," Danny snapped, throwing his chair back and stalking out of the Forgery Suite. For a second, no one moved and then Adam got to his feet. He rested a brief hand on Malcolm's shoulder, reassurance, and followed the trail of destruction to the meeting room where Danny was pacing up and down.

"I hope you're already feeling guilty about that," Adam made his voice as light as he could, "Whatever piss poor mood you are in, you will not take ot out on your colleagues. Especially the ones who would never do the same to you."

Danny didn't say a word but his head was hanging and Adam knew he didn't need to say anything else.

"Wait here five minutes," he said, "Sort your head out, don't run into Harry when you leave and deal with it, please. This is forgotten within ten minutes or I swear I will give you something to be angry about."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N – Thanks once more all of the support, gang. There's only four more chapters after this, we're so close! **

_**Adam and Lucas - The Show Must Go On**_

Adam was alright, the friendliest new face hat Lucas had come across back on homeground, anyway. He hadn't looked at him like he was a ticking bomb and he hadn't asked questions and he'd just handed over some spare clothes like he did it all the time.

When Malcolm came over the comms, to say that Adam was dead, for a moment Lucas didn't want to believe it. Surely he wasn't that toxic that it would have been this quick. Then he sat down next to the woman who was the reason Adam was dead and realised that she wasn't the reason. There was no justice in her life for Adam's. There was no sense to either death.

_There never bloody was._

And so now it would be up to them to catch her handler and then his boss and then the next and the next and that was the only way Adam Carter's death would ever mean a thing.

_**Colin and Fiona - Why Should I Worry?**_

He was alone in the ops van, parked just around the corner from the hotel that they were currently working on. Fiona was inside, Zaf lurking somewhere dressed as a porter, and Colin was manning the comms.

"Come in Alpha One," he murmured. Fiona was supposed to have given a signal that all was well over a minute ago. There was nothing. Radio silence. Not even the sound of breathing.

"Alpha One, check in," Colin repeated, shifting uncomfortably and wondering whether to patch Zaf in, "Alpha One, please report."

There was a rustle of fabric then, the sound of running water, and Fiona's voice came over the comm, cheerful and definitely not in trouble.

"Sorry, Colin. I had to visit the ladies. I didn't think you'd like to bear witness."

He chuckled and settled back in his seat, "From now on, scheduled bathroom breaks only, Fiona."

"Aye, aye captain."

_**Malcolm and Ben - The Age Of Not Believing**_

Ben was a bundle of energy, something the Grid had been lacking somewhat since Zaf had died. He was animated and could be excitable if prompted and sensible when needed and, quite frankly, he was a breath of fresh air. Malcolm rather liked him, for all that he still had a lot to learn and despite the fact he was still rather too impulsive to be entirely predictable and reliable. Ben did not truly believe yet that any harm would come to him. He had not seen enough.

Then Malcolm saw his body stretched out on the floor, throat sliced open, and he had to lean on the wall to stop his trembling legs from failing him. He saw Ros' pain, Jo's tears, and he could do nothing for them, nothing that he would have liked to do to help them. It had not occured to him that he himself could still believe such a thing would never happen to a boy like Ben.

_**Harry and Tariq - Gotham City**_

"Wait, wait, wait," Tariq straightened up in his chair, "The guy's name is Bruce Wayne? Seriously?"

"Seriously," Harry frowned, pausing in his briefing, "Why is that a problem, Mister Masood?"

"Oh, no reason," Tariq grinned, more to himself than for anyone else, "Sorry to interrupt."

The meeting continued and Tariq couldn't help but smile whenever the guy's name was mentioned.

"We'll need to search his home," Harry concluded, "Look for a way in, Dimitri. You and Calum will be on that. I need Erin here."

The team recognised a dismissal when they heard one and made to leave, when Harry added, "Oh and if Alfred gives you any trouble, you have my permission to neutralise him."

Tariq turned, agape, to find Harry chuckling at his own little joke. He caught Tariq's eye with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.

"I'm old, Tariq, I'm not obtuse."

_**Ruth and Ros - Cry For Me**_

Ruth knew that she would never have been Ros' best friend - there was too much there, too much lingering resentment that Ros was the reason Ruth had to leave her home and her friends and Harry. She doubted Ros had shed any tears when Ruth had gone. She expected nothing of the sort, if she was honest.

But when she heard Ros had died...that night, Ruth went home and she cried for the other woman. She cried for her, because whatever she might have been to Ruth, she had become all that to Harry and Lucas. She seemed to be Lucas' lifeline, the only thing keeping him anchored in his world, and for Harry...Ruth was not the jealous sort and for that she was glad, because Ros was his rock, his strong right hand, his closest friend.

So Ruth cried, because they had lost her and she cried because now Ros would never have time to come to mean more to Ruth too.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N – Usual thanks. Three chapters left! **

_**Ruth and Lucas - In The Arms of the Angels**_

Harry decided that Lucas would have a memorial, despite what he had become. He couldn't be denied that simple right, no matter who he was. No name on the wall but a small service to mark a life gone.

Ruth insisted on attending. With Harry suspended, the only people who went were herself, Tariq, Dimitri and Malcolm, who they smuggled into the chapel.

Four people. Even less than Ros.

Malcolm read a short eulogy, for the Lucas he had known; the good spy, the hero, the brave, brave man.

Ruth didn't cry, but she did grip Dimitri's hand when he offered it to her. Lucas North had been real once and John Bateman was so lost and it wasn't fair.

Ruth was glad she did not believe in heaven and hell, because she remembered how John had pleaded with her, told her to be happy, told her to marry, showed her his heart, and Ruth knew that if she did believe, despite all that, Lucas would already be in hell.

_**Jo and Harry - Pack Up**_

After Zaf, Jo decided to move to a smaller place. She didn't have that much stuff, but no car, so Adam promised he would drive a van for her if she hired one and Malcolm promised to come and help her pack.

They arrived in good time, armed with coffee and pastries and, unbelievably, Harry in tow.

Harry.

Harry, and he was smiling a kind of smile Jo had never seen before. Shy, like he wasn't sure if he was welcome here. She smiled back - as if he would ever be unwelcome.

Malcolm helped her pack boxes for a while, as Adam and Harry loaded the van up. When they got to the boxes of books, Jo watched anxiously as Adam picked up the first and stumbled a little, before he corrected himself. Harry went to take another and Jo cleared her throat.

"Um, Harry -"

"Yes?"

"The book ones are really heavy. Maybe leave those for Ad-"

As if to make a point, Harry hefted the box easily and raised his eyebrows.

"Sorry?"

"Oh - nothing. Don't worry."

Harry grinned at her blush and disappeared down the stairs behind Adam. Jo turned to look at Malcolm, who just chuckled and went back to loading another box.

_**Malcolm and Ros - Should I Stay?/ Friend Like Me**_

Malcolm was muttering furiously to himself, fingers flying over his keyboard, and Ros was loathe to interrupt him. The hour was late though and it was her role as Section Chief to throw him out.

"Malcolm?"

"What?"

"What are you doing?" she drawled, perching on the edge of his desk.

"Would you understand if I told you?" he said sharply, and then flushed, "Sorry."

"That's alright. You're tired. I doubt you are really even doing anything useful in that state."

He stopped and looked at her properly.

"You really do have the strangest approach to comfort, you know."

"Who says I'm aiming for comfort?"

Malcolm's pointed gaze saw right through her, as usual.

"Whatever," she smirked, "I'll make tea. You want some?"

_**Harry and Ben - Under Pressure/Far Away**_

He knew people died, of course. He wasn't an idiot. He'd seen the memorial wall, knew everything it stood for and more.

Ben hadn't known Harry could break.

His boss always seemed so in control, so entirely on top of things that Ben secretly wondered if he was a robot.

Then Adam died and Harry didn't know Ben was watching him. He thought he was alone in his grief but Ben saw. He saw how Harry crossed his arms like he was protecting himself and he saw the shock on his face, so raw and naked and personal that Ben soon turned away. Harry walked away, so no one would see him.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Ben remembered that Adam had a kid. A kid who was now a orphan.

Harry's reaction suddenly made a whole lot of sense.

_**Ruth and Dimitri - The Name of the Game**_

"Poker?" Dimitri asked, "You want to play poker?"

"Why not?" Ruth shrugged, shuffling the pack of cards in her hands, "We can play for peanuts. Literally peanuts, I have a bag in my desk."

"I just didn't think poker would be your sort of thing."

"What's the matter?" she smiled, "Afraid I might have a better poker face than you?"

"No," he said too quickly, and she laughed, "It's good practice, in our line of work and especially yours. If I can work out your tell by the time we have finished playing, you have to wash up everyday for a week."

"And if I work out yours?"

"You won't."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe."

"Bring it on."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N – This chapter was easy to write, really easy, and there's only two more to go! The Malcolm and Lucas one in this chapter is perhaps the silliest drabble I have written but I still don't think it is completely out of the realm of possibility.**

_**Sam and Adam - I Wish I Could Go Back To College**_

"Well, screw you Sarah," Sam barked into her phone, trying hard to not throw the stupid thing across the break room.

"Alright?" Adam asked, turning from his newly made cup of tea, eyebrows raised.

"My flatmate," Sam sighed, toying with a piece of chicken in her salad, "She says I'm unreliable."

"What does it matter, as long as you pay the rent?"

"Exactly. I wish I could afford somewhere on my own."

"Why?" he slid into the spare seat across from her.

"Because I had the best flatmates I will ever have when I was at university and now everyone sucks in comparison."

"You had good flatmates at university? Lucky you!"

"What were yours like?" she couldn't resist asking, even as she realised he was just trying to distract her.

"Hell. Smoking weed at all hours, setting off the fire alarm four nights a week, parties every evening."

"At Cambridge? I thought only good boys and girls went to Cambridge?"

"I bloody wish."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

_**Ruth and Jo - Alibi**_

"What are you doing tonight?"

Jo asked Ruth that same question, every single day and she always got the same answer.

Not much.

Tonight though, Ruth hesitated for a fraction of a second, and she turned bright red before she could say it.

"Not much."

She fumbled through packing her bag, even though Jo was trying hard to make her believe she wasn't watching her.

"Bye then," Ruth said brightly, a little of her composure returned, and she was walking away before Jo could even answer.

Five minutes later, Harry left too, much earlier than he normally did. For a brief moment Jo allowed herself to speculate, wishing there was more than coincidence to Harry's unusual time keeping and Ruth's funny reaction. Then she turned back to her screens.

Speculation was a waste of time.

_**Harry and Dimitri - Run and Tell That**_

Erin sent him with Harry to the hospital, when the helicopter finally arrived. She took Calum back to the Grid, dazed as they were, to deal with the fallout. Dimitri knew why she had sent him - there was no telling what Harry's reaction would be when they finally separated him from Ruth.

As it was, it was calm. Too calm. Eerily calm, and Dimitri wished his boss would at least cry again, anything to show he hadn't shut down completely.

Eventually, Dimitri lead him out to the car that Erin had sent for them and still Harry said nothing. In fact, he only spoke to correct the destination, giving an address that Dimitri didn't know. The driver set off and Dimitri watched Harry the whole time from the corner of his eye.

Blank. Nothing.

An older man answered the door at the house and only then did Harry break again, leaning his forehead against the doorpost, shoulders shaking. The man bundled him inside and Dimitri sighed, because at least he could tell Erin, at the very least, Harry was not alone.

_**Malcolm and Lucas - Perfect 10**_

"Oh come on," Lucas groaned, "No way was that worth twelve points."

"We could have predicted that," Malcolm shrugged, glancing at the television screen, "Ex-Soviet bloc."

"Mmm," Lucas dipped into the bag of crisps he had perched on the desk, "It's all politics."

_It's all politics._

That was the excuse either of them would have given, had anyone happened to realise they were in fact tuned into the Eurovision Contest on their overnight shift.

"And our ten points go to...the United Kingdom!"

"Ten! Not bad," Lucas nodded.

"Especially from Ukraine," Malcolm deigned to take his eyes away from his screens properly, "What is our score now?"

"Thirteen."

"In total?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

_**Harry and Beth - More I Cannot Wish You**_

He could not argue with Erin's decision to remove Beth, not when it was probably the best thing to do. She had been unpredictable once, and disloyal. It was a shame though, that just when she was seeing the light, her talents would once more be offered to less savourable sorts on the open market.

A damn shame.

And so maybe he asked Tariq to find the latest number for her, and maybe he called her, soon after he was back in his chair.

"Harry?" she sounded incredulous, "I'm out, remember? Damaged goods."

"I know," he said, "I'm going to give you a phone number. You should call it and offer your services to the man who answers. Tell him I sent you."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because you could be very good, Beth. This man is good too, for all his sins. You'd never have to do anything for...morally questionable people."

"What's his name?"

"Tom. Tom Quinn."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N – Much thanks for everyone who has stuck with this for this long! The next chapter is the last and I'm working on it now. Expect it some time in the next few hours :) **

_**Harry and Calum - A Spoonful of Sugar**_

"This is, without a doubt, the most badly written report I have ever had the misfortune of reading."

Harry's voice was calm and Calum had to stop himself from squirming in his seat. The explosion was coming. He just had to wait for it.

"What exactly were you thinking when you wrote it?"

"I'm sorry, Harry. I was tired. I must have been."

"So you don't remember," Harry said sharply, casting his eyes down to the papers and, mercifully, away from Calum's burning face.

_Here it comes._

"I'm disappointed, Mister Reed. Very disappointed."

"I'm sorry," Calum repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. He knew he sounded pathetic, like a kid being told off by his dad, but if he was honest, that's how he felt. Maybe Harry realised it too.

"One bad report won't stain your record, Calum," Harry said, and his voice was almost gentle, "Just don't let it happen again. I've come to expect better from you."

"Yes, Harry. Not again."

"Good. Do this photocopying for me and we will consider the matter dealt with. For now."

_For now._ Calum smirked as he left the office. It was nice to know the old Harry wasn't gone completely.

_**Malcolm and Adam - A Well Respected Man/I Wan'na Be Like You**_

"Why did you tell them I cut the wire?"

Malcolm was in the Forgery Suite when Adam sought him out, but he asked the first question.

"Because it wasn't my place to do it," Adam shrugged, noticing how Malcolm couldn't even meet his eye, "And you would have done. A few more seconds, and you would have done it."

"I'm not so sure," Malcolm sighed, his brow furrowed, I'm not a field agent. I'm not you."

"I'm sure. You're a lot braver than you know, Malcolm. You wouldn't have lasted long in this job if you weren't."

His face went red, bright red, and Adam moved into the room. He rested a hand gently on Malcolm's shoulder.

"If I am in the Service for as long as you, Malcolm, with a record like yours, I will consider it a victory. I mean that."

"It's funny," Malcolm said, "Because I would say that if I could ever have a reputation like yours, I'd retire a happy man."

Adam chuckled. Malcolm would be alright.

"Come on. I'll make you a cup of tea."

_**Ruth and Beth - Saturday Nights**_

Beth was keenly aware that Ruth did not want to share her flat with her. For a lack of options, she took the room anyway and vowed to give her new flatmate as much space as she needed. It was easy enough during the week. Weekends were harder.

Beth liked Saturdays. She had a hundred things to do, every Saturday without fail, but in the evenings she liked DVDs and takeaways. On the first Saturday, on her way home, she called Ruth nervously.

"I'm getting Chinese," she said, "Do you want any?"

"Oh," Ruth sounded surprised, "I was going to order some anyway. I'll have crispy duck, please."

"Crispy duck. OK. No problem. Um -" Beth paused, plucking up her courage, "I thought I'd watch a film, if you're interested."

"Oh. Wow, ok. Sounds good. What film?"

"I don't mind. I have a pile of DVDs in my room. Pick out whatever one you want. I'll be back in half an hour."

"OK," Ruth audibly relaxed and Beth let out a breath she was holding, "Looking forwards to it."

_**Colin and Tessa - Proud**_

"And so, if it works, it should reduce search times in the databases by about thirty per cent!"

Colin knew he was rambling but he had been working on the programme for weeks and he was so happy it finally seemed to be functioning. He took his place at the meeting room table, grinning down at his hands.

"Well done, Colin," Harry said, nodding his approval, "Now, Tom, fill us in on the overnight developments."

Malcolm caught Colin's eye and smiled apologetically. It was only ever Malcolm who understood the brilliance of one of Colin's creations.

The meeting broke up soon after and Colin felt a hand on his arm. He whirled around and found Tessa looking up at him. Tessa, who never had a kind word for anyone, especially him.

"That's great work, Colin," she said, and for once he could sense nothing, no poison beneath the service, "Harry doesn't understand but I do. You should be proud."

And then she was gone, condescending smile back in place and already sniping at one of the junior analysts.

_Weird. Very weird._

_**Jo and Tariq - Nothing Compares 2 U**_

He missed her. Tariq had only known Jo for three months, three lousy months. It just wasn't long enough.

She'd been the one who welcomed him into Section D, onto the Grid as though he had been there forever.

Harry was messed up, that much was clear, and Tariq wasn't welcome at the party when it came to knowing why, although when Ruth joined them things began to make more sense. Ros was completely unimpressed by him and she didn't even try to hide it, and Lucas, although he was cool, was obviously dealing with some serious shit.

But Jo - she was lovely.

When she died, Tariq couldn't quite believe it. They'd told him he would lose colleagues.

They never told him they would be sweet and perfect and beautiful and young, like Jo.

They never prepared him for that.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N – And this is it! Thanks to everyone for all of their reviews and support. I had a great time. In case anyone is interested, there are 109 drabbles for 22 characters and I am 100% certain that I covered all of the possible combinations (although I almost forgot Colin/Tessa and Malcolm/Tessa the first time around!) Anyway, thanks again :) **

_**Malcolm and Fiona - New Slang**_

Sighing, Fiona leafed through the blog posts that she was trying to read, trying to get something useful from them about the student radicals causing far too much noise than was good for them. Trying to read was the truth - the kid who wrote the blog was only twelve years younger than her but she might as well have been Victorian for all the sense the words were making.

"Are you alright?" Malcolm stopped at her desk on the way to the kitchen, "You look a little perturbed."

"Is Teenager a language in your repertoire, Malcolm?"

She expected him to laugh but instead he perched on the edge of the desk and nodded.

"Try me."

"OK," she said, a little taken aback, "What does this mean? 'Aidan thinks his swagger is strong and enough to hold onto everyone and he keeps saying the plan is all gravy, but I don't think it's trippin to say that we are all getting in way too over our heads.'

Malcolm chuckled.

"In translation? I think it means 'Aidan thinks he is rather the popular chap and keeps saying that the plan is going well but the author thinks it is not an overreaction to say that they are all feeling a little unsure of what is coming next."

"Wow," Fiona laughed, "Malcolm, how did you know that?"

"I monitor social media, the home of the youth" he shrugged, slipping off the desk and continuing to the kitchen, "One unfortunately becomes rather used to this sort of thing."

_**Harry and Ros - Dear John**_

The postcard came to his house, tucked into a pile of envelopes that the housekeeper left neatly on the table. It was from Norway of all places, the fjords. It was a rather beautiful photograph and he allowed himself a moment to look at it.

Then he flipped it over. There were a few sentences scrawled on the back in a hand he didn't recognise.

_Always told you I would get here eventually! Totally worth it, the trip of a lifetime. Take care and I'll see you soon._

With a sigh, loathe to ruin the picture, he peeled the back of the card away. Sure enough, there was another message there, and when he saw the handwriting, he dropped the card from pure shock. Unfamiliar joy rose in his chest and he smiled.

It was an email address and a few words.

_If you ever need me, here I am. Adam knows._

Ros.

_**Ruth and Tariq - Smile Like You Mean It**_

"Tariq?"

"Yep?"

"You really shouldn't have that bowl there. If you knock it over, that computer is going to pay the price for it."

"But this is ramen, Ruth," Tariq rolled his eyes good naturedly, "It has been designed to eat in front of the computer. Student staple. Minimum damage."

As if to make a point, he began to eat with one hand and continue working with the other. Ruth muttered something under her breath and moved off and perhaps Tariq would have won the argument had the fire alarm not sounded ten seconds later. The bowl went flying when he jumped, soaking a - sensitive area - with boiling soup and noodles.

"Shit," he shrieked, jumping up and pulling his jeans a little way down his hips to get the burning material away from his skin.

He looked up and Ruth was laughing, laughing so much that she was crying and any pain that Tariq might have felt was numbed in an instance. He'd never seen Ruth look so happy, not in almost two years of knowing her. He grinned and began to crab walk towards the pods, just to make her laugh more.

"Come on!" he said, "Don't ignore the fire alarm or my boys won't be the only things burning."

_**Harry and Connie - Bad Romance**_

"So, come on. Tell me the truth. Who would you have brought with you had I not been here?"

Harry looked away from Connie and down at his drink. The after 'party' for the knighting ceremony was even worse than the knighting itself, not least because Connie was bored already and had the scent of blood.

"Malcolm," he deadpanned.

"Really? I've heard mention of someone called...Ruth."

"Who's been talking?"

"Oh, no one. Not deliberately anyway," she grinned, eyes flashing, "So tell me all about her. You didn't think you could keep it secret forever, did you?"

"There's nothing to tell. She's gone and I'm still here. Just one more bloody thing this job took away."

"But it did give you a knighthood," she smirked, "Small mercies, Harry. Small mercies."

"Oh, please be quiet."

"Another gin and tonic and you won't even know I'm here."


End file.
